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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Liz Olson (DFL)

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COVID-19 Update – March 30, 2020

Monday, March 30, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are doing well considering the challenging situation presented by COVID-19. Unquestionably, life has changed in recent weeks. As we know, the Governor issued a “Stay at Home” order, but it’s still important to take care of ourselves and part of that is staying active outdoors. The City of Duluth is working to make parks and trails more accessible while following social distancing guidelines and you can read about these efforts here.

COVID-19 Legislative Aid Package

Last Thursday, the House and Senate assembled – while being careful to practice social distancing – to approve a strong package of investments in Minnesota’s COVID-19 response efforts. The bill includes, among other things, $200 million toward the newly created state COVID-19 Fund, $9 million to the Department of Human Services for food security, $26.5 million for the Emergency Service Grants program to provide shelter for Minnesota’s homeless population, $30 million in one-time grants to child care providers, $10 million for small business loans, financial relief for Minnesota’s workers, and the necessary flexibility for state agencies to respond to the pandemic.

jobs and veterans

early ed

I’m proud we delivered these bipartisan solutions, but there is more work to do. We will keep working on items like workers’ compensation benefits for first responders if they become afflicted with COVID-19, protecting pay for hourly school workers, temporary changes requested by the judiciary branch, and more measures to ensure economic security for all Minnesotans. The Minnesota House website has a COVID-19 section highlighting our work to ensure Minnesotans can be safe and healthy during this pandemic.

#StayHomeMN

Friday at 11:59 p.m., a statewide “Stay at Home” order issued by Governor Walz took effect for a two-week period. During this time, Minnesotans are asked not to leave their homes except for necessary travel, like trips to the grocery store, medical appointments, outdoor recreation, or if someone works in an essential field. This step will slow the spread of COVID-19 and give our state time to build up capacity within our health care systems, including supplies like masks and ventilators and ICU beds.

Stay At Home Can/Should Not

Metrics show Minnesotans are doing a great job following the Stay at Home directive from Governor Walz; traffic volumes are down 71 percent in Greater Minnesota and 79 percent in the metro area. While it’s important to practice social distancing, we still need to be there for others, if not physically. Call or text family and friends – maybe even those you haven’t connected with in a while – and check in on family and neighbors who are elderly or may be vulnerable.

buddy check

Please continue to reach out to me if I can be of assistance by calling my office at 651-296-3806 or emailing me at rep.liz.olson@house.mn. We will get through these difficult times by caring for one another.

Sincerely,

Liz Olson
State Representative

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